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Monday, April 9, 2012

There's been a lot of chatter in my jewelry group lately about the sad state of being a vendor of vintage costume jewelry, including designer signed pieces, in 2012. Seems that if anyone is selling anything, they're losing money on it or just about giving it away. What has happened?

One of the suggestions put forward by a member was the current saturation on the market of vintage costume jewelry vendors all trying to unload their items at the same time. That started when there was a sudden surge of interest a year or two back in glitzy jewelry. Celebrities were wearing it. In came the vendors. This was their chance to make a killing. But as surely as the wave rose, it dumped and suddenly eBay, Ruby Lane, Etsy and all the popular venues were top heavy with beautiful signed costume jewelry just sitting there. That, sadly, is still the case.

Another idea put forward was the current proliferation of "new" vintage style costume jewelry available in real world outlets. Much of it is modelled on the gorgeous designer vintage pieces of the 40's to 60's. It looks great though cheaply made and being offered at low prices. For a lot of women in this tough economy who like the look of glitz, it's "good enough" and affordable.

And so, that brings me to my own situation with designer signed costume jewelry. I don't have much left. I think I sensed what was happening early enough to not get caught with too much stock. What Sherman I had was sold long ago. My only valuable designer signed pieces left are a couple of Schiaparellis, both of which I've now sent to auction at eBay. I know I'm going to lose money on them big time if indeed they sell at all, but I want to retire from this online jewelry business and get on with other interests in my life.

The good news for those who still want to collect designer signed pieces is that this is a buyer's market. If you are going to collect, now is a great time to buy (or rather) invest. Here's one of the Schiaparellis I'm offering on eBAy this week:

Both these sets start at a very low dollar, well below what I paid and what they would have fetched way back when. Going by the number of watchers on each piece, already over 20 since I listed them last night, there is lots of interest. So don't be left out if either of these appeals to you.

And while I have you, I want to tell you about 2 utterly exquisite SHERMAN bracelets being offered on eBay by a colleague. Like me, she hasn't sold on eBAy for over a year, but like me, she's taking a chance. The signed SHERMAN BRACELET below is truly to die for! I remember looking at bracelets like this in her book, and seeing similar on eBAy and wishing I could afford them. As she told me today, the bracelet below couldn't be bought for under $1000 when things were on the upswing. She has a reserve on this one, understandably, as it's such a rare and highly desirable bracelet, but the auction starts at a low $100. But here's the thing: there's only 2 days left to run in her auction so be sure to put a watch on it now and if you really want it, get ready to bid. This is a Sherman collector's dream bracelet:

Thursday, March 4, 2010

With the permission of the owner of the above pieces, I wanted to share this glorious collection of Siam Red Sherman jewellery with you. What a beautiful assortment! And do I wish it were mine? And how! But it's not for sale: it's for you Sherman collectors and readers of this blog to help me answer a question the owner asked me when she sent me the photo: "What do you think it's worth?" What could she get for a collection like this?

All the pieces except the smaller necklace are signed "Sherman". And I don't need to tell you that she has here one of the most sought after Sherman colors: Siam reds. Even better, all the pieces have japanned backing. And all pieces are in top condition with no missing or replaced stones? So what would you offer her?

Her question sent me trotting over to ebay to see what's happening with Sherman there these days. Last time I looked, things seemed quiet. Worse yet, Sherman wasn't getting the dollars it deserves. But of course, what do you expect if you're selling Sherman on ebay! I also didn't find much Siam red Shermans on ebay at that time. But guess what? Right now, suddenly, several pieces have cropped up on that infamous auction site! What a good time for the owner of this set to get her question answered if she watches those auctions. Of course, she'll need to keep one thing in mind: what her set is worth and what it would fetch on ebay could be miles apart!

For her, and anyone else interested in acquiring Siam Red Shermans, here are the item numbers of the pieces currently at auction on ebay:

So back to where we started: Can you, dear reader and fellow Sherman admirer/collector, tell me what you think the set at the top of this post is worth? What would you be willing to pay? Please leave your comments below this post. Thanks for your help!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Haven't had much to write about lately ... or rather, too busy with other things. But today I thought I'd slip over to Ebay to see what's going on there and wow...what a change from a month or two back. The Sherman listings have doubled! And there's only one explanation: Glitter season is here. This is the time of year that all the costume jewelry sellers, including myself, come out to tempt us with their sparkling rhinestone and crystal necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc. And of course, that makes sense. Unless you move in circles where attending galas and fancy dress events happen all the time, most of us, at least here in Canada, don't doll up in all that glitzy stuff just to go grocery shopping!

So what have I seen that's worth your time if you're shopping for Sherman? Well THIS SIAM RED SET was one to go for but that auction's over. The vendor started it at $199 and got one bid. I guess someone hoped that was the reserve. No-one else even bothered, probably because being a Siam Red Sherman, we know the vendor would want more than than opening bid. Well it'll be interesting to see if he/she lists it again. My guess is it'll be a "Buy it Now" much like we sell our jewels and Shermans in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE ... and I have some beauties listed there right now for those who don't want to be forced to bid higher than they really want to. But more about my latest later.

Pity I can't post photos of the eBay pieces anymore. Once those auctions are over, the links disappear in a week or two so you won't even know what I was talking about. Oh well...

So here's another really pretty set from a guy who sells lots of Shermans on ebay. I keep wondering where he finds so many lovely pieces. This one is a NECKLACE AND EARRING SET in red clear crystals with siam red navette accents ... a super pretty set. The earrings are gorgeous long danglers, 2" long in fact. Unfortunately only the earrings are signed. But I'd have to agree with the vendor that the necklace and earrings are a set. However, since the necklace isn't signed, this might not go as high as it would otherwise. Could be a good buy for you if you don't mind an "unsigned" Sherman. Auction ends at 2:43 on November 16th. Bidding is at $169 right now.

Now the same vendor has a 3-PIECE PARURE listed that is unlike any I've seen by Sherman and it's absolutely gorgeous. You've just got to look at this set. It comes with necklace, bracelet and dangling earrings in a shade that looks like teal and the stones are primarily baguettes. It's just so different. Bidding is already at $188 with 4 days still to go. No surprise there. This one is a keeper. Both necklace and bracelet are signed. Earrings aren't.

Okay, that's enough telling you about other people's Shermans. Now I'd like to suggest you take a look at the one I just listed today in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It too is very different and a real head turner:

When I attended the Christies Antique Show back in September, I came across a Sherman similar to this one and couldn't believe it was a Sherman. I'd never seen a Sherman like this. That pendant hanging from the set above, and in the one I saw at the show, was such a heavy cluster of Swarovski crystals and the glitter was fantastic. But it was the design that caught my attention. So very different. I didn't buy the one at the show as I had only so much cash on me and had my eye on a ring I'd seen in another booth. I later wondered if I should have purchased the Sherman instead of the ring! So, when I chanced on the one above elsewhere at a later date, I jumped on it. I thought it was the same one but it wasn't. However this one was just as exquisite. I thought it ironic that I should find two so similar Shermans in a short period of time after never seeing one like it before LOL! Anyway, if you haven't seen one like this, please just CLICK HERE NOW and go take a look at this fabulous Sherman set available from my Ruby Lane shop and you don't have to try to win it either!

I currently have a really nice assortment of Shermans in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE that are just perfect for the glitter season and they are all reasonably priced. Apart from my FAUX ALEXANDRITE set mentioned in my previous post and which comes in an original Sherman box, my current favourite is this glorious necklace below:

What a work of art this one is! I swore off clear crystal Shermans a while back but hey, how can you pass up a spectacular necklace like this one? I had a customer over last night to look at some fine jewelry and after she'd tried on this and that ring, I showed her some of my Shermans. When she saw this one, she gasped! She wasn't familiar with Sherman and had never really tried on vintage costume jewelry. But she just had to put this one around her neck and look at it in the mirror. It was so funny watching her reaction, let alone her fiance who, typical male, said he just considered this kind of thing "junk jewelry". Yeah right! He nearly keeled over when my customer turned to him sweetly and said "Wouldn't this go great with my wedding dress!" How right she is! This Sherman would go well with a wedding dress, or any evening dress where classic designer jewelry by Sherman is the finishing touch. You can read all about it and see more photos of this necklace in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

It's been a while since we last had a faux alexandrite set of necklace and earrings by Sherman to share with our readers and customers but this time, we have a real beauty! Just click on that photo to see more pics and in large detail in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Going by the construction, size of the stones Sherman used for this one, we know we have one of his much earlier sets. As tastes moved toward the finer, less chunky looks in costume jewelry, Sherman too modified his designs. So these days it's really great to find one of these older sets.

Even better, this set comes in its original box, and in that is another giveaway that this is an old Sherman: the later boxes all carried the "Sherman ... jewels of excellence" inside the boxes. Notice, that "jewels of excellence" is missing here but the inscription on that satin inlay is identifiably Sherman. So buying a set like this, in its original box, is a doubly valuable investment. Just the box alone right now would fetch $100!

Shown below is another photo of just the necklace as we subject it to different lighting so you can see the color change that occurs in faux alexandrite stones:

Isn't it brilliant! I'm always in awe of these crystals and get so excited when I find a vintage set, by any designer, with faux alexandrite stones. They're just so rare, and that makes them highly collectible.

It's intriguing to speculate what something like the set above would cost if these were real alexandrites. Quite honestly, most of us could never afford even one of those large stones in the necklace if this were the genuine gemstone. The large stones you see here are 5/8" long by 1/2" wide. That's big. Actually, because the stones in this set are larger, so is the weight of the pieces considerable. The necklace alone weighs over 60 grams!

Below is yet another view of the full set in its mauve color (ie. it changes from blue/green to lavender/mauve).

What a glorious color! By the way, the earrings are large. They run along your ear for 1 3/4" and are 3/4" wide at their widest point. Gorgeous, showy, glitzy but always beautiful Sherman! Buy it now from our SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

By the way, don't know if you watched the auction for this incredible Sherman cuff bracelet shown HERE. What a beauty. It went for over $1900 CAD. Just proves you can't really put a price on Sherman: it's worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Well things are constantly changing on ebay these days and unfortunately, one of the things that has changed, to protect the seller I guess, is the way the photos are displayed. I wanted to post a photo for you of one of the beautiful cranberry colored sets currently at auction but I can't. So you'll just have to click THIS LINK and go over and see it for yourself. There's a reserve on this one so it'll be interesting to see how high bidders go to get this set or if they can meet that reserve. I've seen a few fall quite short of the reserves lately, but those reserves have also been very high.

But, in my humble opinion, this cranberry-colored set of bracelet, brooch and earrings is worth going for. The color is gorgeous...fuschia by any other name...and all 3 pieces look to be in good condition. The seller hasn't shown a photo of the entire back of the bracelet (really should as collectors like to see that kind of thing) but stones look clear and bright and design is, typically Sherman, just lovely. The bidding is at $152.50 as I write this and it doesn't end for another 29 hours. So you still have time to jump on this one.

There's also a 1/2" wide red Sherman bracelet finishing in 32 hours that you might like. That's narrow but the color is popular. There is an opening bid of $100 but again, there's a reserve. At this point, there are no bids. This one is signed and also comes with an original hangtag. You can see it atTHIS LINK.

Of course, if you prefer to buy your Sherman outright and really know what you're getting, you could go over to our SHOP AT RUBY LANE, where we have up to 9 large photos of just about all our items with very detailed and accurate details. We don't like returns and want our customers to be happy. So though it takes more effort, it's worth going the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. So you might prefer to pick up the Siam Red, japan-backed bracelet

& earrings shown above from our shop. The bracelet is one of those unsigned Shermans, but definitely a Sherman (see my writeup for explanation) and the earrings, while not an original match, go beautifully with this bracelet and they are signed. I'm receptive to offers too so don't hesitate to make one. Click the photo above or THIS LINK to learn more and make your offer. Given this bracelet is in the most popular color for Sherman collectors, I normally wouldn't consider offers, but since it's unsigned, there's room to move.

While I went through a rough period a while back and started selling off not just my Shermans but other costume jewelry, I've relented. It's just too hard to not buy some of those beautiful pieces! Besides, right after I starting selling it off, I had customers wanting to buy more. So I'm back in the game for now. Keep an eye our OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE and on this blog as I have some wonderful new Shermans to list in time for adding gorgeous glitz to your wardrobe at Christmas. So stay tuned and watch for this fabulous Art Deco necklace below coming soon!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Well if you've been wondering if I'd sold off all my Shermans and gone into hiding, given I haven't posted here for a while, you weren't far off right. I did sell off a lot of my Shermans ... and at ridiculously low prices. But then, something happened. I spotted the gorgeous pink Sherman necklace above and got thinking about the lovely dangling pink Sherman earrings I had that would go so nicely with it, and that ended my vacation from Sherman. How could I resist!

Then, to make things even sweeter, I got doubly lucky: it turned out this necklace was from the estate of an avid Sherman collector who loved pink and she had not one, but two Sherman necklaces! The second necklace is the one shown below: very demure and pretty, more a pendant style.

Of the two, it would appear she wore the large one at the top more often as the rhodium-plate backing is more worn on that piece and almost brand shiny new on the smaller piece. But in both, the stones are brilliantly clear and the same color.

Making my find a triple treat, was the fact that I also scored a pair of signed pink clip-on earrings with the two necklaces, and honestly, I can't guess which one the earrings go with best. So I've put them with the smaller pendant necklace as shown below:

It's very cool that in both sets, the earrings are inter-changeable with both necklaces because the pink color and stone cuts are such a close match. I suppose if someone loves wearing pink Shermans, they could dress up or down by owning both sets and always be "in the pink"!

To learn more about these lovely pink Sherman pieces, see more photos and purchase them for your collection, CLICK the photos of just the necklaces to go to the page at Ruby Lane where they are featured. Or click these links:

Thursday, September 3, 2009

If you hurry, you still have time to bid on these Sherman pieces ending tonight on Ebay. Pictured at the top is a superb deep topaz Swarovski crystal glass bead set, all signed, consisting of 2-row necklace and matching earrings. Bidding starts at $125 and right now there are 12 people watching this one but no-one has yet opened the bidding. Of course, they're all either just other sellers waiting to see what happens ... I do that all the time LOL ... or they are actually buyers hoping to snare a lovely Sherman set at a low dollar by waiting till the last minute. Such fun!

The same vendor is offering the delightful Aurora Borealis, very traditional, glass crystal earrings above. Since she offers combined shipping, this is a good chance to get a couple of pieces for one shipping cost. Bidding has opened on this signed set at $24.95 and there are 9 watchers. Will it go any higher? Who knows! She also has another set of signed Sherman earrings on auction. These are the baguette style, 1" high clip-ons shown below in soft topaz. Bidding starts at $19.95. Several watchers just waiting to grab this set for $19.95. A good deal if they do!

So hurry up and save! With combined shipping thrown in, you're well ahead on adding some nice Shermans to your collection. Good luck!